Sparkle | Saltburn

01

Phoebe grumbled as her Pussycat Dolls alarm blared through her dorm room, the upbeat tune of "Don't Cha" a harsh contrast to her groggy state. She reached out a hand, fumbling to turn off the alarm, and finally succeeded, the room falling into blessed silence once more.

She shuffled to her closet, pulling out a light pink top and brown flared leggings. After getting dressed, she spritzed herself with her favorite strawberry-scented body spray and applied a touch of glittery lip gloss. Phoebe glanced at herself in the mirror, satisfied with her appearance, even if she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the day ahead.

Grabbing her purse and a glitter pen, she headed out of her dorm room and made her way to her first class. The hallways were bustling with other students, all of whom seemed much more awake and enthusiastic than she felt. Phoebe stifled a yawn as she joined the throng of students heading to the lecture halls.

Her first class was Introduction to Economics, a subject that Phoebe had no interest in whatsoever. She found a seat at the back of the room and sat down, pulling out her notebook and glitter pen. The professor began to speak, but to Phoebe, it was as if he were speaking an entirely different language. Words like "marginal utility" and "market equilibrium" flew over her head, and she quickly lost interest.

Phoebe opened her notebook and began doodling, drawing hearts and flowers with her glitter pen. She tried to stay awake, but the monotone drone of the professor's voice was almost hypnotic. She occasionally glanced up at the board, but it was no use—the graphs and equations made no sense to her.

When the class finally ended, Phoebe sighed in relief and packed up her things. She checked her schedule and saw that her next class was History of Art. At least that sounded a bit more interesting, she thought, making her way to the next lecture hall.

But as soon as the professor started talking, Phoebe realized that this class would be just as challenging as the last. The professor's rapid-fire discussion of Renaissance art and Gothic architecture left her head spinning. She doodled some more, adding glittery embellishments to her drawings to pass the time.

By the time lunch rolled around, Phoebe was feeling completely overwhelmed. She found a spot in the dining hall and sat down with a tray of food, poking at her salad with a frown. Felix spotted her from across the room and made his way over, sitting down next to her with a grin.

"Hey, Phoebes, how's it going?" He asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Phoebe sighed, resting her chin in her hand, "It's awful. I don't understand anything. The professors might as well be speaking a different language."

After lunch, Phoebe trudged to her next class, Introduction to Philosophy. She had hoped that this class would be more engaging, but as soon as the professor started talking about Socrates and existentialism, she was lost once again. She doodled in her notebook, her glitter pen the only bright spot in an otherwise confusing day.

By the time her last class ended, Phoebes was exhausted. She dragged herself back to her dorm room, collapsing onto her bed with a groan. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering how she was going to survive the semester.

Her phone buzzed, and she reached over to check the message. It was from Felix.

[ Hey, want to meet up for dinner later?]

Phoebe smiled at the message, feeling a bit of her earlier anxiety melt away. Felix always knew how to make her feel better.

[Sure, sounds good. See you at 7?]

[Perfect. See you then xo]

As Phoebe stepped out of her dorm room that evening, the sky was painted with the hues of twilight. The soft glow of the setting sun bathed the campus in a warm light, making everything seem a bit more magical. She had just shut her door behind her when she noticed Michael Gavey about to open the door to his dorm, a few steps away.